Sangley Airport Groundwork Set For 2016

2 January 2015

Sangley International Airport is expected to take shape as early as 2016 when the government bids the first phase of the Mega Manila Airport Gateway Project.

Transportation Secretary Joseph Abaya said the government will begin land reclamation needed to construct the four-runway hub in Sangley which will become the landmark project of the Aquino administration. 

According to Abaya, the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) is completing the pre-feasibility study on the reclamation component of the project which covers also the non-aviation part.

Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is submitting the complete feasibility study in June 2015 for approval by the Philippine government after which the Japanese government will finance the cost of construction slated for completion by 2025.

“Hopefully we can bring it up to NEDA by July for approval,” Abaya said.

The $10 billion airport project would be able to handle about 55 million passengers annually when it opens to the public in 2025 and can eventually be expanded to handle 130 million passengers yearly by 2050, according to JICA specifications.

According to a 2011 JICA study, annual passenger forecasts for the Greater Capital Region will rise from 49.8-million in 2020 to 75-million in 2030, shooting up to 106.7-million in 2040. Currently, NAIA handled 32.865 million passengers in 2013.

JICA Proposes Sangley Runway As NAIA's Third Runway

Sangley Sought For NAIA Integration

14 July 2014

Sangley Airport is poised to become part of Ninoy Aquino International Airport complex if the proposal of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to the Philippine government is to be adopted, Transport Secretary said Sunday.

JICA Has proposed that Sangley Point airport in Cavite be linked to Manila International  Airport under an integrated airspace with Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) until 2025.

Its not clear from JICA's recommendation whether a taxiway is to be linked from NAIA to Sangley airport runway or whether they will still be classified as two separate airport.

“JICA’s recommendation means that, in effect, the new Sangley airport will be NAIA’s ‘third runway’ until greater expansion can be made in the long-term," Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) Secretary Jun Abaya has said.

NAIA will be constructing a 2km parallel runway next to 6-24 to handle narrow body traffic aimed at decongesting its airspace until 2025, the timeframe when the new airport would become operational

The proposal will provide NAIA with 3 parallel runways with the existing runway turned into 6-24 center, the soon to be constructed parallel runway at 6-24 right, and Sangley airport runway providing 6-24 left.

“Upgrading Sangley’s existing airport may be done faster and at a lower cost, since initial reclamation will be needed for only one to two runways, instead of three to four,” says Abaya.

Initial investment for the massive airport project could be low as it cover only land reclamation for the taxiway connecting NAIA and the Sangley runway.

“This will significantly bring down JICA’s initial ballpark estimate of $ 10 billion to build a four-runway airport in Sangley,” Abaya added.

This could provide NAIA with tremendous expansion capacity with Sangley providing two more runway for NAIA while also opening the complex to future growth.

One of the other options for 2025 and beyond would be to close NAIA once Sangley is expanded into a four-runway airport, make it a mega complex airport merging NAIA and Sangley, or operating it as dual-airport system.

DOTC's next step after this proposal is to prepare a feasibility study of the proposed options slated for completion in 2015. Project construction  is expected to commence in 2017 for completion in 2024.

Abaya clarified that the DOTC will still have to finalize the best airport strategy and present this to President Benigno Aquino III as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, the Transportation Department will continue to develop Clark International Airport as alternative airport to Manila.

Sangley Airport Is It!

SMC To Bid Airport Project


By Kris Bayos
3 July 2014

It’s final. The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) has chosen Sangley Point in Cavite City as the location of the new airport, virtually shelving SMC proposal to build similar infrastructure on reclaimed land in Manila Bay.

Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said the DOTC will adopt the recommendation of the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to build Manila’s next international gateway in Cavite. The announcement was made after San Miguel Corporation (SMC) failed to formally present its plan to build a $10-billion airport at Manila Bay.

“Our Planning Department requested SMC for a full and proper presentation of their proposal. Our two requests were either turned down or ignored. We won’t be insisting for the third time,” Abaya said.

Earlier, businessman Ramon Ang personally presented SMC’s plan to construct a modern airport along Manila Bay in a meeting with President Aquino last May. SMC’s proposed four-runway hub was designed to either complement or replace the aging Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

“We weren’t sure why there is hesitation,” Abaya added. “They (SMC) have their own reasons and we don’t need to find out. So in the absence (of the SMC proposal), we will just pursue Sangley.”

Ang was quoted as saying earlier at the SMC Stockholders Meeting last June that they are amenable to bid out the contract to build and operate a new international airport even if the bids will involve different proposed sites.

“Bids can be for a new airport in Clark, Sangley or Metro Manila,” said Ang last month.

Ang said SMC’s plan for the new airport can be done in five to seven years. “We will start operations in the fifth year and it will be at full capacity of 150 million passengers a year by the seventh year,” he said.

The Cabinet official disclosed that the JICA site-selection study for the new airport in Manila had also considered Manila Bay but Sangley Point emerged as the best choice among seven locations.

“If you look at the JICA study, Manila Bay was also studied. Among seven locations, Sangley ranked on top after all factors were considered,” he said.

Although JICA is already working on the feasibility study of constructing a new airport in Sangley Point, Abaya clarified that the project is still subject to the approval of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board, which is chaired by the President.

“We are pursuing Sangley (as the location). (JICA) will finish the feasibility study and (DOTC) will eventually get NEDA Board approval,” the official said.

Abaya also said DOTC is studying the appropriate funding structure for the project slated for construction in 2017 considering the huge cost of building a new international airport.

“Considering the huge cost, it is possible that the General Appropriations Act (GAA), Official Development Assistance (ODA), or Public-Private Partnership (PPP) will all have a component (to fund),” he said. The SMC airport will cost $10 billion and the same cost is estimated for the airport to be constructed in Sangley Point.

The NEDA Board will also decide on the fate of NAIA once the new airport is built.  DOTC expects NAIA to hit its maximum capacity between 2018 or 2020.

According to a 2011 JICA study, annual passenger forecasts for the Greater Capital Region will rise from 49.8 million in 2020 to 75 million in 2030, shooting up to 106.7 million in 2040.  In 2012, total traffic recorded in the region was already at 31.879 million. The greater capital region covers the National Capital Region and Regions 3 and 4A.

To meet the expected volumes, the DOTC has identified two viable options. Both will involve the expansion of Clark International Airport (CIA) in Pampanga, and the development of a new international airport in Manila.